Waiola Shave Ice serves up some of the fluffiest shave ice you will ever have. They should honestly call this shave clouds. It's a small, unassuming place buried in a neighborhood, marked by its bright exterior and two giant shave ice cones. The menu is straightforward and delivers just about any flavor that you could imagine on ice. True, they are all syrups, but hey. It's affordable, quick, and tasty. It's a perfect cool-down treat in between your island adventures. Grab a cone or bowl and take a seat on the benches on the side. Eat and repeat. Waiola is also cash only, and parking is limited. Come prepared! read more

Popular spot - low quality shaved ice + service Our family members used to go here for keiki Tuesdays (promotion with cheaper kids size) a few years back. We visited recently and got one of the $7 special bowls with 1 scoop of ice cream and added some condensed milk on top. Overall - the shaved ice consistency was a bit hard and flavors were pretty artificial. Ice cream was also just OK. Everything was fairly mediocre. The service wasn't great. We had a few folks sharing and asked for some cups, and they were stingy about it and wanted $0.25 per cup. They finally gave us 1 (for 3 people) but that left a worse taste in our mouths than the shaved ice itself. Would skip this one and go to some of the better ones around. read more

My fave spot to go for shave ice, small parking lot, in town, reasonably priced, so smooth and soft! My favorite flavors are lychee and mango. Every time I think I might try something different, I go with the same 2. read more

The shave ice here is the best we've ever had. We used to say Uncle Clays was #1, but we think this takes the spot. I highly recommend the large bowl with one scoop of ice cream added. I tried the condensed milk drizzle and it was delicious too! Guava and lilikoi flavors were on point. The inside portion of this location had snacks, seeds and merchandise, but it didn't feel welcoming as the lights were off both visits (2 days back to back so far - it's that good!). The only reason this is not getting 5 stars is the service. Unfortunately, the lady on both visits wasn't welcoming. They weren't rude or mean at all, but there just wasn't any aloha. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Front entrance - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Great shave ice texture and lots of flavors to choose from! We created our own shave ice which had ice cream underneath. I think it did a great job keeping the ice from melting too quickly on a hot day. They a few outdoor tables too eat at as well which was nice. Go to Leonard's and then come here! read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Lilikoi and guava shave ice with ice cream and mochi underneath. Lilikoi cream drizzle - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A classic fav, of course, on a warm, sticky day around Waikīkī/nearby. Waiola has been there since I was in college and prob long before! Lots of different flavor options, vanilla ice cream, etc. Eat right away! It melts pretty quickly if it's hot hot hot read more

Visited in Oct 2024 Terrible shave ice. The only thing good about this place is the texture of the ice is very smooth. Otherwise, not good. I got a small and it is definitely small. Also the syrup flavor only went 1/4 way down the ice. So most of what I ate was ice flavored shave ice. Even with the extra charge of condensed milk I barely got any of that also. My son got the chocolate one and he liked it a little bit. My daughter got the strawberry one and she said it was pretty good. read more

Always a "must have" stop for our kids whenever they're in town. Favorite must have is a bowl with ice cream, azuki beans, Mochi balls, lychee flavor and condensed milk. So pretty much get everything on the menu. We love this place. read more

What's not to love. Came to this second location as it was in the area and it's identical to the other location. Same great soft shaved ice, and same delicious melona syrup. I'm gonna be honest, I went to Waiola once already on the trip and came a second time the day before we were leaving. I got there around 4:30PM and my girlfriend was a little disappointed in her flavors so I joked that we should get some more. We drove off to the beach without getting any and it start to hit me that that's as the last time I'd be getting Waiola on this trip and I started to feel real sad. We left the beach and got back to the store at 5:45PM before they closed and I got Waiola for the third time on my trip. I am satisfied and have no regrets :). read more

Not the best. I was expecting Hawaiian shaved ice but it's way too soft that it is one clump of ice. They forgot the mochi so brought it to us in a Dixie cup that was a glob. My husband loved this place, so I gave it an extra star read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

You have to try a shaved iced spot when in Hawaii. There was a line so we had to wait a bit. It looked like a small shop with a few workers. Their menu is more updated on the website. I ordered a large with lychee, lilikoi, and milk tea. I also added condensed milk and mochi balls. They put the mochi balls at the bottom but I would prefer them on top. I enjoyed the lilikoi flavor the most. The lychee and milk tea flavors were more subtle. Much needed for a summer day in Hawaii. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Large size with lychee, lilikoi, and milk tea - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Just okay. Was excited to try this place out because it's talked about a lot but it was just alright. Not worth the hype but I guess worth a try? read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Azuki Bean + Rainbow - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

At first glance they looked great, but after the first bit they both were lacking favor. The bottom of my cup was clean and just shaved ice no favor. Very very disappointed won't be back..... read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Ugh - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Lots of flavors to choose from and a large assortment of toppings. We went with the traditional 3 toppings of tropical flavors (mango-lechee -guava) and added beans. read more

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Waiola Shave ice is a must try when you visit Oahu! This is a famous spot that locals and tourists come for shave ice! This spot is located in a residential area and the parking lot is very small.... so street parking is your second option! It is not in the nicest area but it's still a cool spot where locals live and many tourist come to try! The shave ice is so smooth and melts in your mouth... it's probably the softest shave ice I've ever had! You get a choice of 2-3 flavors along with toppings! My lady chose lilikoi and lychee! I chose strawberry and vanilla! We both had condensed milk on top which makes everything better! That is my recommendation: get condensed milk on your shave ice because it makes everything sweeter and creamer!! Every flavor tastes better with condensed milk!! It's a must try when you visit!!!!! read more

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Cruising through the neighborhood on a hot summer day looking for a safety check for my car, I am wishing I had an ice cold Shaved Ice to cool me down! ICE BAM! I discover Waiola Shave Ice just behind Maui Sporting Goods & Infinity Nails! The line tells me I'm in for something good, as I quickly check my Yelp APP for an added incentive! Yes! A solid four star rating and the variety of shaved ice cups passing by my car, has my tongue aching for a cold refreshing Shaved Ice! What's this? CUSTARD SHAVED ICE?! Wow! I decide to order a Mango-Banana Custard Bowl! This amazing double delight is a cup of custard pudding that is strategically placed in the center of a foam cup bowl, covered by shaved Ice and then you pick what flavors you want poured over the shaved ice! Delicious! ONO-lishious! read more

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Casual mom and pop kinda place. Free four stall parking in front. Easy ordering menu. Lots of local snacks and crack seed. Merch sold in store. After the zoo we needed a little something to help cool us off. This was the perfect spot. We got a parking stall right in front and only waited about 5 minutes to order. I got the small strawberry with Lihing powder. Hubby got the large haupia w/flan. It was $10.50 for our two items. Hubby's was light and refreshing but a bit too much for him to finish. They gave a lot of flan. The flan was creamy and delicious. Not too sweet which was perfect pairing with the haupia. My small strawberry was just the right size for me but I ran out of strawberry flavor with an inch of ice to go. All in all it was a nice quick refresher and conveniently located on Kapahulu across Safeway. If we do come back I'll pay the extra 25 cents for the extra syrup. read more

Shave ice since 1940. The oldest and still the best. Through the years, credited with inventing: - "Rainbow" (red strawberry, blue vanilla, and yellow banana) flavor. - Adding vanilla ice cream and azuki beans. - Dusting with li hing mui powder. - The "snow cap" (condensed milk). Brilliantly colored, deliciously artificially flavored, sweetened with sugar and high fructose corn syrup poured over the finest shaved powdery ice. Finer than snow, almost fluffy in texture. No place on the island matches the texture, period. And while you can add lychee, mochi, even brown sugar boba syrup, ultimately it is still shave ice. Brilliantly simple. Utterly nostalgic. The best. COVID era note: all seating is blocked off. Enjoy your shave ice on the road or in your car. End note: the business is struggling. Reduced hours and crazy specials. They need community support until the tourists return or another part of Hawaii's culinary history will vanish. read more

So refreshing on a hot day, it's close by other famous stops on Kapahulu so it easily acts as a nice dessert or treat from perusing the streets. I love that the lines aren't too bad and the feel is very local. I got POG and lilikoi, both were so good. I almost want to say the fine shave has the edge over Matsumoto, but the size is smaller. I added mochi balls, they are added at the bottom, they were kinda stuck together but still good. read more

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Is this the best shave ice on Oahu.  I would say yes, it is!  The ice is fine and melt in your mouth; the flavors are yummy and made from cane sugar with no preservatives.  There are so many flavors to choose from like mango, lychee, green tea, cotton candy and haupia.  Let's talk toppings and treats.  Try the vanilla ice cream and mochi, that's my go to order.  If you are feeling adventurous you could get the azuki beans, li hing mui powder, or condensed milk.  Can't really go wrong.  You know this is a good place because this is a mom and pop store. Parking is good here, there are spaces in the front and on the left side of the building.  Staff are working hard and friendly.  The line may look long due to social distancing right now, but it will go quick.  If this is your first-time eating shave ice, I would recommend the classic rainbow (Strawberry, Vanilla, and Banana) with ice cream and condensed milk.  It will taste amazing and it is colorful and fun in your pictures to send to your friends.  Can't wait for you to try a little taste of Hawaii. Enjoy. read more

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We decided to stop by for some shave ice before our little adventures around the city. Their red bean shave ice was delicious. Honestly, the best in the island in my opinion. Yes, I know there's plenty of shave ice around the island but this one was our favorite. I also didn't have to wait in a super long line too. They have a mini store inside filled with goodies. Benches and tables outside if you wanna chill and enjoy your shave ice. Also a small parking lot out front. Can't wait to go back! read more

We had a mini family reunion and brought the kids here. Service was great and fast for a family of 50+ lol. The shave ice were sooo good. read more

Worst service . Do not come here. Most unkind rude group of people. Absolutely refuse to give them service. Shimazu Shave Ice is the place to go for shave ice!!! Tastier and less $$ read more

I've heard about Waiola Shave for a really long time so was excited to see what the hype was about. I actually didn't realize there were so many locations, which worked out great since I just went to the location closest to post-Ono Seafood lunch. The location for this Waiola is a bit inconspicuous, as it's not on a main street but an adjacent side street. There was a little bit of parking which was also nice, and they had outdoor seating as well as an a merchandise store as well. You actually order from the window outside, not the merchandise store, and since we were basically the only ones there, we got our shave ice quickly. My brother and I ordered a medium sized shave ice with lilikoi and thai tea syrup as well as condensed milk and vanilla ice cream. The ice is definitely softer than others like Matsumoto or Island Vintage Shave Ice, which makes it feel more premium haha. The syrups are good and large enough to share with multiple people. It was refreshing for a hot day, but you have to eat fast when it's hot because it melts so fast! Overall, great quality shave ice! read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Lilikoi and Thai Tea shave ice with condensed milk and ice cream - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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After lunching next door @Sushi Ginza Onadera, we made a short walk to this obligatory touristy stop. I am not a big shaved ice fan but found the shaved ice smooth & refreshing, almost as fine as bingsu. We got the strawberry with POG, it used artificial flavors instead of natural fruits such as Island Vintage Shaved Ice. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Strawberry and POG. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

One of the best shave ice on island. Busy, but the line moves fast, just learn how to order from their menu. Always a local favorite to take my kids on a hot day and any day. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Small Pina colada with ice cream, Mochi and condensed milk. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very delicious and great texture. The pickled mango flavor was perfection. Both combinations of flavors were great. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Pickled mango and li hing. Matcha cream and cotton candy with condensed milk. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Lilikoi with lilikoi cream....all the time. Great service and family owned. Super soft ice and their housemaid syrup is the best!

syrup was good, but skimped on the syrup. half way through my small shaved ice it was all white ice no syrup. out of all the places i've tried on any of the islands, that has never happened to me. pass on this place. there are better for sure. read more

A staple and they've always been good. Very good shave ice at a good price. That is the place I always think of when I want to fill my need. Also like their second location as it's closer to home. Reason for not giving four or five stars is when I went there today at 5:40 with my daughter, we were very disappointed to see they were closed. Looks like they closed up early. I'm not sure if they changed hours but we were both saddened to miss out. Luckily we were able to go to the original location and get our fix. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We had a little extra time before our flight home so we stopped by Waiola and it was so good! I had the blue hawaii shaved ice (a mix of orange and pineapple flavors) and it was delicious! A must-try if you're in Honolulu! read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Rainbow, cherry, and two blue hawaii shaved ice - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The shaved ice flavors were slightly to watery, but the shop has cool shave iced cone statues and lots of outdoor seating

- lilikoi and mango The texture!!! This has bingsoo texture so the ice is nice and fluffy. It absoorrbsss the syrup. As you can see...I have no photos because I devoured that cup. It's such a nice refreshing way to cool off. Keep in mind, because of that nice fluffy ice it melts allooottt faster. My flavors were the same color, so I couldn't really taste the difference. But it mixed into this nice tropical fruit taste. I could mainly taste the mango. I also got it with mochi which I think I could've done without. There's also a candy store(?) inside where you can buy different types of ling hing mui powder candies and diff types of ling hing mui. I had to grab a couple bags for souvenirs and for myself. read more

I can see why all the locals come to these Waiola Shave Ice locations - they're worth it! Being from the mainland, I don't really have any good shave ice options, so when I visit Hawaii, I make it a point to get my shave ice fixings. I came on a Friday afternoon with a large group of friends, and there was a small line waiting to order when we arrived. The menu can be quite overwhelming at first, but they have instructions posted on their wall. Just know that you read the menu left to right, and the pictured options are separate items entirely. I ordered a small shave ice with POG and strawberry syrup and topped with condensed milk, which came out to be $4. I love how cheap the prices are here, and with the endless array of flavors, you can really explore infinite flavor combinations. They shave the ice to order, and they top it with the syrups right before giving them to you. I recommend letting the syrups sink into the shave ice for a minute or two before eating so that the syrup gets more evenly distributed. The syrups tasted like real fruit, and the texture of the shave ice was AMAZING. It literally melts in your mouth, leaving you feeling light and refreshed after each bite. The condensed milk topping added a slight creaminess as well, which was a pleasant compliment to the smooth fruit-flavored shave ice. Pricing is amazing given the quality that you get here. It's tough for me to think of a better dessert option, especially on a hot summer day in Oahu. There's some tables to the right of the restaurant that can seat large groups, which have umbrellas to help protect you from the sun. I can't imagine you staying here for long though - you can eat these things pretty quickly. The store is located off the main street on a residential street, and you won't see it driving by unless you turn into the residential area. There's street parking around, and a few spots right in front of the store, but good luck finding a spot there. One of my new favorite dessert places in Hawaii. I'll be back next time I visit! read more

Great price, quick service and delicious classic flavors. There are benches outside to enjoy your shave ice. Nothing fancy but perfect nonetheless. read more

Came here after having lunch near by. Been craving shave ice lately. Easy to find parking here unlike the McCully location. Cute exterior and nice photo opp with the two his/her shave ice statues. The menu is a bit overwhelming and you need to decide size, toppings, extras, flavors. I had no idea what I wanted and there were people waiting behind me. The lady behind the register just stared at me waiting for me to make a decision, no smile, just there. Not a place to expect service, I guess. They are CASH ONLY by the way. The shave ice was so silky smooth it just melted quickly in your mouth. Not chucks of ice like some other places where you have to chew it almost. I got snow cap (condense milk thinned) strawberry and lychee, plus some mochi balls 5 per order, I was looking for them and didn't see it, I figured it might be buried on the bottom but just to be sure asked, the person said it was on the bottom in a manner like I was supposed to know. The mochi was kinda hard. Was it the best shave ice I'd ever had, no. How was the service? No service to borderline rude, though they were Chinese so I figure it's more of a cultural thing. I'm Chinese, before you think I'm being racist. Would I go back, sure. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Strawberry, lychee with snow cap - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

This place is good for mainland standards, but mediocre for Hawaii. The ice was hard and the ice cream I got wasn't special. It's cheaper than Ululani's shave ice which is around the corner, but I suggest you spend a few extra bucks and go there for shave ice that will really knock your socks off. The main reason for the 2/5 stars is that this place is stingy. I asked for an extra cup and they wanted to charge me $0.25! Keep in mind, this was after I already paid for my shaved ice and put my $0.70 change in the tip jar! After I pointed out to the worker that I gave them a tip more than $0.25, she somewhat reluctantly gave me the extra cup for "free". They also charge 4% extra for credit card. I understand charging extra for credit, but 4% is a bit high. A 3% fee is more standard. If you want to nickel and dime customers like that, you get what you deserve, a bad review. read more

Not sure what the hype is but it's conveniently located to Waikiki. We got a small shave ice and that comes with 2 flavors. It tasted just fine. The menu board is confusing and they should have one on the side too so people can plan ahead of what they want. The line moves very slowly and they should have you receive the item on the side to move things along. The staff is really grumpy. The place looks worn and tired. I do like how they use paper cups and a wooden spoon so no plastic. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Small with 2 flavors. I like how they don't use plastic. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I walked here from ono seafood, because it was only a block or two away. I was really excited to try this place because of all the reviews, and how well known it is. I got here and was surprised to see they weren't very busy. I went to the front and asked the guy what their most popular flavors for shave ice were. He told me it was mango and lilikoi(passion fruit), so that's what I ordered. The shave ice was super soft and the flavors were really good. It was a really nice refreshment after walking under the super hot sun. The only downside of this place would be the customer service. The man working at the front seems like he hates his job, and doesn't want to be there. I think if they have someone who's more friendly and bubbly, locals and tourists would have a better experience. This place provides a few picnic tables for customers, which was nice. Parking can be a bit hectic since there isnt many parking spaces. Maybe a few on the other side of the street. They have huge boy and girl shave ice figurines at the front you can take pictures with! Super cute! Overall, this place was pretty good for shave ice! I'm glad I was able to try this place! read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Lilikai, mango - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

3.5 stars for the shave ice, 2 stars for the service. My boyfriend and I each got a small shave ice which allows up to 2 flavors. He got strawberry and lilikoi with passion boba, while I got milk tea and lychee with vanilla ice cream. I really liked how finely shaved the ice was from Waiola. It was like powder. The milk tea flavor was literally milk tea. It wasn't super strong though. The lychee was good and tasted as expected. I didn't really like the strawberry syrup though, it tasted too artificial for me. The passion boba was passion fruit flavored popping boba. I'm not sure if it was because of the boba's contact with the ice, but the "skin" of the boba was all soggy. The ice cream was good though - similar to custard. Overall, I'm not really a shave ice person. I did like the texture but the syrups were just okay. Service was also meh - she wasn't very friendly and seemed annoyed. read more

Waiola Shave Ice - Milk tea & lychee and strawberry & lilikoi (both small size) - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii